Go Tell It On The Mountain

Today's post celebrates my favorite carol.
My Crafters Of Faith group was put to the challenge of making a card based on our favorite carol. Mary Rose even wants a bit of sparkle added to the card.....I am not a sparkly kind of girl, but am giving it a try.

In Mary Rose's own words:
NOVEMBER CHALLENGE!
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
Hello, Crafty sisters! Can you believe the holidays are here? I LOVE this time of year! Peppermint Mocha Lattes, twinkling lights, Hallmark Christmas movies...every good and perfect gift pointing to our Savior. My favorite part of the season? Christmas carols. I LOVE Christmas music, and I have so many CDs that I have to start listening to them in October just to fit them all in! LOL I have a few favorites that make it into heavy rotation (Amy Grant, Kathy Mattea, Point of Grace, Sara Groves), and others that are strictly instrumental and fill the house with the ambient sounds of the season (Jim Brickman, Windham Hill's Celtic Christmas, and more). This month's challenge: Make a card based on one of your favorite Christmas songs or carols. (The Bible verse I chose is often associated with Handel's Messiah, another favorite!) Make sure your card has a little twinkle to represent the light of the world. Bonus points to anyone who includes kraft and gingham in their design (just because I LOVE kraft and gingham!)
So there's your challenge! Plug in that Christmas music and get inspired! I'm even learning some Christmas carols to play on my dulcimer.

There are so many carols....and not a bad one of the bunch; but, my favorite since I was a teen has been "Go Tell It On The Mountain." I think telling the story of Jesus' birth is truly the reason for the season!
A fun version of the song can be heard here. And here is a more traditional version.
And, here is my card!



The star stamp is from CTMH and the baby Jesus digi is from Deedee's Digis. Her work can be found here. Everything else came from my stash!

Make sure you stop by all the blogs of my fellow Crafters Of Faith. Their links are on my sidebar!
Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April
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Pretty Packaging

That is the challenge this week over at The Pink Elephant 176.
So, I checked SCS to find something I had never tried....yep, had some time to play this week!
I came up with this uber cute acetate box.


My SIL brought me all types of office supplies when her boss cleaned out a supply cabinet (with permission, of course)! I love freebies.... She just knew I could make something with them!
Ella is the highlight of my box.



I also used some oversized mittens as a tag for this cute box which is going to my little neighbor. I plan to put some mini chap sticks/lip gloss in this for her!

Deets:
WinterElla by Lori Boyd
DP's are Everyday Ecletic
The rest is from my stash (you knew I was going to say that...lol)

Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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Calendar Girls

Today's post is for the Calendar Girls blog group I am a part of! 
And, the challenge this month was to use a little known holiday as inspiration for our card.

EPIC FAIL

Yep, I looked at the list and to my dismay, only two things popped out at me - today is French Toast Day (no bread or sandwich stamp) and it is the penumbral eclipse.  So, I went with making a card that was inspired by the eclipse....lol

Papers and ribbon were from my stash.  Digi is from Deedee....who designs here, and the layout follows this weeks Mojo Monday sketch (MOJO269).


Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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Did you see?

Good Morning!

Did you see?

I am on a new Challenge Team...
{PIN}spirational Challenges!

I know, I don't start until January (officially)...

BUT, I wanted to play along!

Sponsored by:

And, for inspiration this week we have this darling doggie!

 

And, here is my card!  I focused on the cute doggie and the textures in the photo.  The rust color and the mix of checks called to me.  You know what I am about to say....everything is from my stash, except the darling digi from 2CuteInk!  Thank you so much for supplying us with your work!  I did follow this mornings sketch at Tuesday Morning Sketch ~ #174.

Thanks for stopping by!

HUGGS,

April

Merry!

My friend Kadie is quite the enabler!
Her blog post from Friday sent me on the hunt for a freebie over at A Day For Daisies. Everyone is welcome to pick up Snowball Scott as long as they enter this week's challenge! So, here is my card, following the current sketch challenge at SCS (SC412).



I found the dp's and the cs in my stash. used a sparkly brad from CTMH and added a wee tag from SU! I colored Snowball Scott with my Bic's, with a slight shadow created with a Spectrum Noir marker. I must admit to liking them!


Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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Happy Birthday Kevin!

Just a quick post!
I made a birthday card for my BIL, who shared his day with Thanksgiving this year!



I based his card on two challenges (I was going for three, but don't think this truly depicts thankfulness. Although it does to him....lol). All items were from my stash. I followed the sketch at Mojo Monday #268 and the color challenge at 'ABC' Challenges #5


Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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I'm late!

This was supposed to be up the 18th, but my cold has been kicking my butt....lol
Here it is now though....the revealing of our latest Mystery Image (#13). Terry sent this great MFT image - Holiday Hugs Snowman and I paired it up with items from my stash.....how'd I do?

Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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HB2U

Here's a card I made over the weekend. Our neighbor friend turned fourteen and I made this for her. I knew she was getting an iTouch as a gift and thought this was appropriate. The stamp and sentiment are from MFT and I used the current sketch from jen at DS78.

The papers and embellies are all from my stash!


Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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{PIN}spiration

I love the name ({PIN}spirational Challenge) of this blog! It is so "today" with the love of Pinterest happening!

This challenge blog brings great inspiration, and I once again was challenged by it! Thanks J, for enabling me and showing off this blog on yours!

I am not going to show you the picture inspiration (#33) this week.....go see for yourself!

Just know that here is my card. It is made totally from scraps and stash! I can't remember when y friend Kelly calls this size card, but it is made using the piece cropped off.....y'all let me know, okay??



Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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PLANES, (trains) AND AUTOMOBILES

It's the 15th and that can only mean it is time for the Darlings to be DUELING it out!
Debbie was our hostess this month and she picked a wonderful theme along with Carol!
They went with a theme based on the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles where the main characters are trying to get home for the holiday!
Debbie sent two kits, because she couldn't decide....lol....we did only have to use one kit, but I loved them both!!




The top card features Emelia by Kraftin Kimmie, "Hopscotch Boy Toys" from K&Co. And embellishments from SU!  The lower card shows off "Chevrolet 1957" by Clear Dollar Stamps and dp from American Crafts.

Debbie also wanted to know a favorite memory.  I must admit that Black Friday is fun on many levels.  We shop all day and then party all night.  Yep, we do Thanksgiving dinner all over again with the cousins!!  So much fun!

Make sure you check out the rest of the DUEL!

Dazzlers          Divas

April (me)         Barb

Debbie              Carol

Jeanette            Kadie      

Melina                       

Michelle               Judy

Paola                Kelly

Terry                    LJ

Darlene              Tami

Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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**Edited to let you know that blogger isn't my friend and won't let me schedule posts and I wanted to make sure this was here for the early risers!!**

Happy Hunting.....

Well, I come from a family of sportsmen....and, married one too! Plus, when I married him, I married five more sportsmen.....
This card will be customized for the one who brings me the first deer of the season!! {Kelly, sorry I am grossing you out!}



Everything used is from my stash...found the pocket and tag while looking for something else (lol). Riley was fussy cut and then put on the teal and cut out again.

This card is being submitted to the following challenges:
Riley and Co. ~ pocket card
Twisted Tuesday (2TC32) ~ stamp on dp and teal somewhere


Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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Candy at Nicole's

I was looking for inspiration last night and came across this blog, Nicole's Stamp Addiction.

Look what she is giving away when she gets a few more followers.



I decided, what the heck, a quick post and a chance to win....lol!

Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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Baby, It's Cold Out

Well, at the moment it is 54F out.... That is after getting to nearly 70 yesterday and today. We could see snow showers tonight and tomorrow....brrrr

To celebrate the onslaught of winter, I made a card using PJ Ella in Winter and paired her up with scraps from my stash. I got my {Pin}spiration here and my sketch here.

I am so sad!

I usually make generic cards to give whenever. You know the type ~ they fit a multitude of people or occasions. Today, I have a card made for a specific occasion....well, it was intended for a very special baby! But, alas, things have not panned out as we had ALL hoped.
Our friends have been looking to adopt and had finally jumped through the millions of hoops to even be considered. It has gone so far that they met with the mother and were just waiting for the bay to be born. Yesterday, my husband received a text with the picture of the baby and the pertinent info! YEAH!!
So, I made a card to celebrate....since the baby was born on Election Day, I went with patriotic colors. He needed blue and I liked the striped DP's together. Even followed the deconstructed sketch and it came out beautiful (if I do say so myself).
Yep, here comes the kicker.....the baby's mother has changed her mind..... Not only are our friends and their family devastated, but so are we, part of the extended family so to speak....
Y'all know I don't usually share 'stuff' like this, but my heart is broken! I am going to share my card...I think I need to so that I can move on. I'd like everyone to say a little prayer for this baby, such an innocent little boy in awful situation!




Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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Happy Bird-day!

Quick post, for a card I quickly made yesterday. I didn't realize it was a {new} friend's birthday yesterday (longtime friends will tell you I am awful with sending cards on the correct date....for the longest time, my sister would get her card a month early!)
So, I whipped this up from scraps on my desk! The set is older SU! I embossed the CS to mimic the Piggy Tales paper I used and then just watermarked the image and sentiment with clear heat embossing! The gemstones are from the shop at CYDI? and the layout is the current sketch challenge (#171) at Tuesday Morning Sketches. It is also a pretty masculine card, so apropos for Twisted Tuesday 2TC31, since I embossed and got out my power tool, the heat gun....lol



Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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It must be the weather.....

I have been extremely productive in the last few weeks.....must be the weather. It is turning colder in Western New York and I am not drawn outside to bask in the sun (anyone who has visited or lived here knows that you have to enjoy the sun while it shines here)!

I am back to actually checking out blogs and looking for challenges to enjoy! With that in mind I created this card which is apropos for the deconstructed sketch #76, the Twisted Tuesday Challenge (2TC30) and the {PIN}spirational Challenge #31



Card Deets:
Memento ink, Copic and Bic markers, image by SparkleCreations


Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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SOTC

I had such fun making this card!
It is for my Sistahood group over at SCS and Kadie challenged me to make a PATRIOTIC card!


The 'you' is glitter embossed just for my harried friend Carol. She is the "Queen of Glitter". I thought this TGF image worked perfectly with Kadie's theme! The dp is from DCWV and the brads and CS are from my stash!

Thanks for stopping by!
HUGGZ,
April

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